Martin Adams resisted an amazing fightback from fellow 50-year-old Phill Nixon to capture the Lakeside World Championship title for the first time with a nervy 7-6 win last night.

The duo were the two oldest players in the competition, with only three months between them in age, but for most of the final there was a huge gulf as Adams stormed into a 6-0 lead.

But Nixon, a house-husband from Durham, suddenly struck form when only one leg from defeat and reeled off six sets himself to seriously worry his opponent.

Nixon, who had started the event as a little-known 150-1 rank outsider, at one point won eight out of nine legs.

However, just as Adams had against Mervyn King in Saturday's semi-final, he gained a new lease of life in the decider and took it without dropping a leg.

He won the first against the throw, then capitalised after Nixon had hit single five with his first dart on a 120 checkout to make it 2-0, and finally pinned double top to win the title at the 14th time of asking.

Nixon, a father of eight, will be heading home to resume his housework duties after collecting £30,000 for being a truly honourable runner-up.

"I never gave up," said Nixon. "Martin took the first six sets, I took the next six and then he took the one that mattered. He was fantastic but I enjoyed it.

"The dream is over but nevermind, there's always next year. I'll have to go one step further. I've been trying for 20 years to get here and never given up. When I was 6-0 down I slapped myself on the back of the head and said, `Let's go'. I can't say what I called myself. But once I started winning sets I was well and truly flowing."

Nixon, who had undertaken a ten-hour journey on buses and trains to get to Frimley Green, will have the luxury of a lift back to Durham.

"I can't wait to go home and see the kids," he said. An elated Adams, meanwhile, said: "It's absolutely fantastic, this means everything to me. It's been a 14-year dream. I've always said if I could get my name on this trophy one time I'd be a very happy man and now I've done it. I will take great pride in looking at all the names on it, going back to the great Leighton Rees in 1978.

"I've been chasing this trophy for 14 years and now I've got it at last." On the way the match changed, he added: "You try too hard. I could feel my arm tightening up and just told myself to relax and do what I had done in the first six sets.

"I thought, `Surely I can't lose from 6-0 up and that I must get an opportunity to do it'. And the opportunity did come along."